Blueberry & Almond Maple Fudge

Here's another delicious recipe from our friends at Mr.Mom's Kitchen. Make sure to check out all of his recipes on his website at: https://mrmomskitchen.wordpress.com/

Ingredients:

• 2 ¼ cups Wabanaki Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup  

• 1 cup evaporated milk  

• ¼ cup salted butter, cut into pieces 

• ¼ cup dried blueberries  

• ¼ cup whole toasted almonds  

Directions

• Line the bottom and sides of a 5” x 9’' loaf pan with baking parchment, leaving about 2” overhang on both the long sides  

• In a large, heavy saucepan bring the maple syrup to a boil over medium heat; simmer for 5  minutes, making sure to keep a very close watch as the syrup can rise quite a lot as it boils. If it starts to rise, lift the pan off the heat for a few seconds to allow the syrup to drop 

• After 5 minutes, pour in the evaporated milk and without stirring bring the mixture back to the  boil, be careful in case it bubbles and rises again, and let it simmer until it reaches 236°F (Soft Ball stage) on a candy thermometer. This usually takes about 20 minutes. It may be tempting to walk away but DON’T! 

• As soon as the mixture reaches that temperature, carefully remove the pan from the heat. Add  the butter pieces to the pot but do not stir it in. Let the mixture cool for about 6 minutes  

• Carefully transfer the mixture a stand mixture bowl, scraping using heat-proof spatula and using  the whisk attachment beat for about 6-7 minutes on high speed, until the sugar mixture gets  thicker and lighter in color. It may look like it has crystalized or separated but beat on nonetheless 

• After the whisking time has passed fold in the dried blueberries and almonds 

• Transfer the fudge to the prepared pan, spreading to the edges. You may need to work quickly  here as the fudge will start to the firm up 

• Transfer to the fridge until completely set, about 2 to 3 hours 

• Lift the fudge from the pan and cut into squares with a sharp knife. Dipping the knife into hot  water and wiping dry between cuts helps to get smooth, clean cuts. The number of pieces will  depend on the size of your cuts. I usually get 21-24 pieces